Church Wellesley Village

Church Wellesley Village

HISTORY

The Church Wellesley Village was originally settled by some of early Toronto’s most prominent families. The street names in this neighbourhood are clues to its rich history.

For instance Jarvis Street is named after the family of William Jarvis, the former provincial secretary of Upper Canada.

Homewood Avenue is named after the estate of George Allan, a former mayor of Toronto.

McGill Street is named after Captain John McGill,. When the aforementioned families subdivided their large estates in the mid 1800’s, the current neighbourhood was born.

The mansions on Jarvis street set the tone for the Downtown which up until the early 1900’s, was considered Toronto’s most fashionable suburb.

OVERVIEW

Church Wellesley Village residents come from a myriad of different backgrounds, and span the entire spectrum of the socio-economic scale with a large portion of the population being gay, lesbian, & trans-gendered persons.

There is a large number of rental accommodations in this neighbourhood. This reflects the mobility of the population, which is comprised mostly of singles and couples.

Church & Wellesley village is perhaps the most colourful neighbourhood in Toronto. Church Street is lined with restaurants, patios, shops, and pubs and has a village feel to it. Toronto’s Gay Pride week is celebrated in this neighbourhood and Church Street and Wellesley streets are shut down for the last weekend of Toronto’s Gay Pride. The villages close proximity to downtown, transit, and shopping make it an ideal neighbourhood for young urban professionals. Along Church Street many of the shops and pubs are geared towards gays, lesbians, and trans-gendered persons. The neighbourhood is also home to some of Toronto’s most luxurious condominium developments.